Cafe Of Joy
by AssasinZAssasin
Summary: Alternate Universe! Hope is dejected when his mom and dad died, and he was dumped by his Girlfriend Serah Farron. He goes to a new cafe/restaurant in town named "Cafe of Joy" and there, he meets someone...someone he would eventually come to love. H X L
1. First meeting

**Author's notes**

**Well, I did not quit my other stories…. I just got inspiration for this AU! Well, I'm sorry but the first chapter was a little rushed and pretty crappy…. Please bear with me though!**

**Reviews are ALWAYS welcome.**

**I don't own Final Fantasy XIII for the last god damn time.**

I - First Meeting

It was a fine day, and any other day like this, a certain platinum blonde teen would have loved it.

But today was an unhappy day.

In the solitary confinement of one's own home, Hope Estheim let out a small sigh.

'Hope's Perspective'

"I can't believe I spent the whole day just mulling over this crap."

It all started with mom…

Mom died when I was 14….

My Ex-Girlfriend Serah Farron dumped me a year ago even though we are still friends…

She stated that she had found someone else whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

And it was only yesterday that I attended Dad's funeral.

I look around my dad's…..MY house.

I'm 18 now, so I can take care of myself…..no problem.

I'm still hyped up on my dad's death I can't think about other things.

"I heard there is a new Cafe in town…..opened about a month or so ago."

I moved from Palumpolum to Bodhum because of Dad's work and now he is dead….

"I think it was called…..Cafe of Joy?"

Joy…..the last thing I thought I would feel right now.

"I could use a distraction….. I guess."

I decide that I have nothing better to do so I just left the house to go to this new Cafe.

I think about the name mom gave me.

"Hope huh… ironic."

Hope would be the last thing I could have felt right then.

What I felt was totally in contrast to my name…. Hopeless.

Turns out this café is actually a restaurant that wants to make a more relaxed atmosphere, thereby naming it a café.

It's pretty fancy…. I go inside and I see dazzling bright lights, a beautifully decorated place, to be sure.

I wish I wore something a little more….. Upper class. I feel so inferior right now!

I go in and take a seat. A waitress brings me a menu.

I was so bored I guess I just stared at the waitress.

She bears a striking resemblance to my Ex-Girlfriend, Serah Farron.

But…. Her facial features seem different; she looks like a cool, calm person in contrast to Serah's happy, contagious smile that always stuck on her face. She looks older too.

Maybe they're related…

I would never forget, the pink hair, blue eyes….. And that caring personality Serah always radiated.

I must have seemed like I was in a trance or something because I didn't even notice that the menu was right in front of me.

I snap out of it when she taps my shoulder.

"_Sir, would you like to order anything?" _She said, with a huff of impatience.

"_And please don't ogle, this is a high class restaurant and we have a bouncer." _She said this icily…. I almost felt my skin tingle.

But that feeling was soon replaced with disgust.

What a rude person…. Was my first impression of her. No respect at all towards the customer.

Though she is right, I hate to admit…. That I WAS staring at her. She just reminds me of the sad day that Serah broke up with me.

But Serah was always kind and happy; she was never rude to anyone…. As far as I know anyway.

I sigh in irritation and place my order.

I guess I just had a hard day…. But that didn't stop me from showing irritation in my voice.

I swear…. I heard her call me a douchebag when she left. What's got in her hair?

I mutter to myself darkly…

"That is exactly the kind of person who will live their lives alone forever…."

Though it was also partly my fault, I was in such a bad mood I silently sulked.

She must be used to criticism huh…. I was in such a bad mood I did not think about how others might feel. What happened to the old Hope Estheim? The boy who always helped others and cared about their feelings?

After eating, I paid the bill, filled out the Customer Satisfaction form, I grinned thinking about how happy she will be when she (maybe) gets her promotion. And hesitated a little before putting in a tip. I guess it was partly my fault that she indirectly cursed me so I left her a tip as a sign of goodwill. She actually looked confused for a second when I put extra cash in there.

"_Sir, the bill clearly states 500 gil, you put 1000 gil there." _

What a little bitch….. I thought to myself. But quickly shook those thoughts out.

I compose myself and, with the most polite voice I could summon, said…

"I felt you deserved a tip…. So I left 500 gil for you." I smile at her.

It's not my fault my dad was rich and he left all his inheritance for me.

"_I don't need one; I'm not a charity case." She said it firmly._

This is ridiculous…..

"Look, miss…. I just felt you deserved a compliment for a job well done and what better way than with money?"

I guess her pride just can't make her take it.

She looked at me, again with that bewildered face.

I just sighed, put the money in her hands… and walked out of the restaurant.

I wrote in the Customer Satisfaction form, NOT criticizing her, but I decided she could use a compliment so I filled out all sorts of good things about her. At least someone would feel happy today…..

Still, what a little bitch…. I thought to myself again. In which of course I inwardly scolded myself…Again! I'm just having a bad day.

But I allowed myself a small smile.

That little exchange actually rid my mind of my troubles.

What an interesting person….maybe I should come back here soon.

And with that, I walked home and went to sleep, smiling for the first time today.

_**Little did I know…..That this very woman…. Would one day steal my heart. And that one day…. She would be the only person I would ever love….forever.**_

'Lightning's Perspective'

_It's true…. I need money to support myself, I barely earn enough here and I can't bring myself to accept money from my baby sis._

_So I took this job at this…. Café of Joy to earn a living. My wage was only 350 Gil…. Barely enough to pay the bills and keep food on my table._

_Today work was amusing….And actually fun, For once._

_I never ever received a tip from a customer before…. Probably because I was straightforward and to the point whenever I was pissed and always pissed them off._

_I can't even keep track of how many times the manager… Amodar kept lecturing me on customer happiness. He even asked to see the comments of the next person I serve._

_I saw a young man of around 18 come in wearing….a T-shirt and long pants._

_Not something I would expect from someone dining at somewhere as posh as this._

_He took a seat and I took a menu and started walking toward him._

_He just turned and looked at me, mesmerized? _

_Even after I put the menu in front of him, he just continued staring._

_I had to tap him on the shoulder to snap him out of it._

"_Sir, would you like to order anything?" I said it, huffing impatiently._

"_And please don't ogle, this is a high class restaurant and we have a bouncer." I said without thinking._

_Great….Amodar is going to give me another lecture again._

_He then ordered with a hint of irritation in his voice and I'm sure he was pissed._

_As I walked away, I thought about what he would say to Amodar._

"_Douchebag….." I said, unaware that he could hear me._

_When he was done, I brought him the bill and waited for him to fill out the 'Customer Satisfaction Form.' I swear I saw him grin a little before folding the form. He paid the bill of 500 gil, and added another 500. I figured he was mocking me so I called his bluff and told him,_

"_Sir, the bill clearly states 500 Gil, you put 1000 Gil there."_

_He looks at me like I'm a mad person and surprised me by saying,_

"I felt you deserved a tip…. So I left 500 gil for you."

_While I desperately needed the money, my pride would not allow me to accept it._

_After a series of a childish argument on the bill, he just sighs and leaves._

_He's probably one of those guys who for some reason thinks I'm pretty and think they can get on my good side with MONEY. This definitely won't be the first time._

_I snort and pick up the form…_

_I am curious as to what he wrote about me… probably rating everything at 'Poor.'_

_I don't know what compelled me to do it, but I opened it to read and I was, surprised. To say the least._

_At the tab 'Waiter/Waitress Performance and Discipline' he checked the box 'Above Average' which was the best rating available._

_At his comments he wrote,_

_The waitress that served my table, the one with pink hair and blue eyes… She is doing a great job, I think she deserves a promotion. She is kind and gives her opinion on food very well! She sure knows her food! I will definitely suggest this place to my friends as it is a fine establishment with good food and good staff. Yours Truly, A very pleased customer._

_I was stunned as I handed it to Amodar. He said the next table I served, he wanted to see their comments. There couldn't have been a better time for him to ask._

_After he read through it, Amodar was surprised and really proud._

"Good work, Farron. You must have really done a good job to get compliments like this! I'll see to it that you get a 50 Gil raise in payment!"

"_Thank you, manager." I allowed myself a smile._

_As She left, Amodar checked the form again._

"Hope Estheim huh?"

"You sure live up to your name, you just gave Farron and I hope, I can once again believe in my staff again."

_When I got home, I was tired from today. But strangely happy._

_That man, the one with the platinum blond hair… He sure made my day huh…_

_And to think…. I actually thought he was a Pervert and an Asshole._

_As I lay my head on my bed, ready to go to sleep…_

"_Thank you….for giving me hope again." I directed this thanks to him, even though I know he won't ever hear it."_

_Oh the irony in that sentence….if only I knew._

_With that, I fell asleep to one of the best dreams I have ever had in a long time._

_**I would never have known that him of all people, would be the person I want to spend the rest of my life with….**_

**Author's notes**

**Sorry I think it seemed a little cheesy and corny here and there! If you want to flame me on this go ahead, I know I deserve it….. Well, Hope originally thought Lightning was rude and whatnot, but now he finds himself oddly interested in her. Lightning actually smiled! It's THE END OF THE WORLD! Not really. Hope you liked it, please review =D. I'm sorry it is probably confusing so if you have any questions please feel free to PM me or review a question.**


	2. The Farron Family

Author's notes

Thank you to all my reviewers, especially chazz har har for his helpful review.

This probably won't be a very popular series but I hope those select few who read it enjoy this chapter =DDD ! I probably suck at writing an AU but bear with me here =.=!

I don't own Final Fantasy 13 and all that legal Bull Crap.

Reviews are of course APPRECIATED. Very much, so please consider, yeah?

I can't say I'm proud of this chapter but bear with me yeah? Flaming is also accepted. Providing it is constructive criticism? Nah either way is fine.

II - The Farron Family

'Lightning's Perspective'

"_Oh, please…kiss me again." I say breathlessly as I lay in bed with my lover._

_Who was that certain person? It was the same platinum blonde man who I served just a day ago._

_While I have no idea how I ended up in this predicament…. I actually enjoyed it._

_He merely smirked and leaned in, ready to connect our lips._

_My heart started to beat irregularly fast…_

_Our faces were just a hair's breadth away when…._

_RRRR-Ring!_

_That sound woke me up from my dream._

_I openly cursed my phone and the person who called for waking me from the best dream I ever had. While that dream was strange and awkward, I would be lying if I say I didn't enjoy it. I never got close to anyone, and that was the first instance, dream or not, that I was ever THAT close to anyone. It was probably memories of my broken childhood that pushed me to embrace any form of relationship, dream or not. Especially since I was never that close to anyone other than Serah. Though I can never show it, at least I can privately enjoy it._

_Why that man though? The one I met at the Café…?_

_I snapped out of it when my phone rang again._

"_Yes?" I say, irritation clearly showing in my voice._

"Whoa there sis, did I interrupt a private affair or….something?" I swear I heard him snicker somewhere in between.

_It took everything I had not to smash my phone on the floor. I can just imagine the stupid grin on his face._

_I did, however…. End the call._

_I was just about to go back to sleep when I noticed the time. It was already 12 in the afternoon._

"_I'm going to be late for work!" I shout._

_Then it hit me….Today is my day off._

_I let out a sigh of relief._

_I decide to just take a short nap again._

_Until of course, the phone rang again._

"_What!" I shouted into the phone, voice filled with venom._

"Ok, sis now I'm really convinced that I'm disturbing something…..PRIVATE." He sure put an emphasis on PRIVATE.

_I just feel like punching his lights out right now._

"Whoa, whoa, before you hang up please listen to what I have to say!" He took a short breath before continuing,

"Serah wanted to invite you for lunch with us; she even invited an old friend of hers and wanted you to meet HIM."

_Him?_

_Sigh, Serah never gives up, does she? She just keeps trying to set me up with someone…And it just never ends well. So why invite another guy in a futile attempt to match me up with him?_

_**OH, The irony… if I had known he was such a handsome caring young man… I would have gotten with him sooner, if the circumstances had allowed it.**_

"_Tell her that I'm not going to go if she is trying to set me up with someone." I pretty much spat at Snow._

"I'm not too sure on that, let me get Serah." Snow's footsteps can be heard, followed by an explanation on the situation in the background.

"Sis, I heard from Snow that you think I'm trying to set you up." Serah said.

"_Aren't you?" I ask._

"No, it's just someone I used to know, and I just want you to meet him."

_Something in my gut tells me I will regret this but…._

"_Alright, I'll be there at 3 in the afternoon." I sigh in defeat._

"Great! See you then!" She said it eagerly and happily.

_She sounded a bit too eager for my liking._

_I go back to sleep for a while longer, trying my best to summon that dream back to continue where it left off…._

'Hope's Perspective'

"She's not working today…huh?"

Secretly, I was looking forward to seeing her.

When I looked around to find her, I could not see her so I asked a waiter who worked there and he said she had a day off.

After eating lunch, I was on my way home when…..

Beep-Beep!

My phone was ringing.

I checked the name and was surprised to see,

Serah Farron.

"Yes, Serah?" I hesitantly ask, she hasn't called me in a long time, so why now?

"Hi there Hope, I would like to invite you over for lunch to meet my sister, are you free?"

I internally check my schedule and I find out I have NOTHING to do today.

"Sure, time and place?" I ask.

"My house, around 3 in the afternoon."

"Sure thing, Serah." I reply.

"See you then!" She happily replied.

"Bye." I shut my phone.

Why does Serah want me to meet her sister for?

I decide to stuff it and walk home.

Eventually, 3 o'clock came and I dressed up nicely and drove over to Serah's house.

"I hope this is the right address…." I whisper to myself as I rang the doorbell.

I was greeted by Serah and a Tall Blonde Man who introduced himself as Snow.

He must be her new boyfriend.

I smile bitterly at him.

However, he seemed oblivious and just shook my hand.

I went inside and I saw that dinner was already set up.

They ushered me into the kitchen and I took a seat at the table.

I wondered briefly where Serah's sister was until I heard the doorbell ring.

Serah asked me to go get it, implying that ….. What better way to meet than at the door?

I was baffled by her thinking.

But I just went to open the door.

Standing at the door was a Tall, Beautiful woman with Pink hair and sparkling blue eyes.

I could not help but stare, mesmerized by her beauty.

Wait a second….This was the same girl who I met at the Café.

She seemed just as confused as I was.

We both literally shouted at the same time,

"What are you doing here?"

Until it dawned on me.

This woman, Is Serah Farron's Sister!

'Lightning's Perspective'

_It was such a nice dream too, I thought as I woke up from that same dream._

_I looked at my legs and saw the awkward position it was in._

_Both my thighs were crossed and you could see traces of liquid flowing._

_I could not do anything to stop the blushing that came._

"_Oh…That's right, the dream picked up and….." I trail off._

_I blush harder as I thought of how indecent that dream was._

_I check the clock. 2:45 in the afternoon._

_I should probably get going to Serah's house. I tried my best to distract the thoughts of how good he was in bed in that dream….But to no avail._

_I arrived a little after 3 in the afternoon and I rang the doorbell._

_I expected Serah or Snow to come and get it, and I readied my fist in case it was Snow._

_I never would have expected to see a man with platinum blonde hair and beautiful emerald green eyes…._

_Wait! Did I really just think he had BEAUTIFUL eyes?_

_But I pushed that thought aside, and asked the question I really want answered._

"_What Are You Doing Here?"_

_We both shouted at the same time._

_Wait, is this…..the man sis wanted me to meet?_

**Author's Notes**

**Yeah, Yeah I suck. I KNOW. Just please, easy with the flaming! Either way, I hope you guys like this series…. I'm really discouraged though. I could use some nice, comforting reviews. I loved writing it so I hope you feel the same. Okay, I know that this is very OOC but the characters are HARD to portray, especially in an AU. And who knows? They might just be falling for each other. That's probably WHY they are acting so awkward. I thought it was obvious, no? OOPS I just added some spoilers. DX**


	3. A Crush?

**Authors Notes**

**This chapter, I think….is by far going to be one of the lousiest, or even the worst I have ever posted.**

**The cliffhanger I left you guys at…Well, It made it just so….hard for me to continue it.**

**But I relish the challenge, I just hope you are not too disappointed with the end result of this chapter…I am though. At least it's long….**

**I think I said this, but PLEASE PLEASE support my community…Oh and please leave a review too if possible =D.**

**Without Further Ado, oh wait…Warning, OOC inbound! VERY VERY VERY OOC! YOU HAVE BEEN…..WARNEEEED!**

**Enjoy… Otherwise just go ahead and Burn me.**

**I don't own FF 13 and all the legal stuff …screw it.**

III – A Crush…?

'Hope's Perspective'

To say tonight was _**very awkward**_ must have been the understatement of the century…

Let's see…. It all started after I opened the door and found out that she was none other than, Serah Farron's Sister.

I just stood there, speechless. We both just sort of stared at each other in bewilderment.

I can tell she is thinking the exact same thing. That questioning look is asking 'what is he doing here?' Or to be more specific, what am _**I**_ doing here?

Snow or something…Whatever his name was…Came over and…Well,

"Sis! How nice of you to drop ove…" He was promptly cut off by her fist.

Next thing I knew, he was a crumpled heap on the floor.

With a….Fist mark on his face.

I stared at him and turned to look at her again.

Remind me not to make her angry…..

That Was the first thing that popped into my mind.

But, I couldn't help but think about how graceful she was when she punched him….

DAMN IT ESTHEIM! You're doing it again.

This is…what? The, like…Hundredth time I was thinking about her again?

What the heck is happening to me?

While I pondered these questions all in the space of about a minute, Serah came over and picked up the 'Crumpled Heap Of Muscle' which I so dubbed, off the floor.

She lay him down at the corner and came back.

She then proceeded to lecture her sister.

"Claire, why must you always punch Snow?" She asked, pouting a little.

Sigh…I remember she used to show me that pouting face whenever I refuse to buy her something last time….

Wait…Claire? Is that her name?

"_First off, he called me 'Sis' which I do not like. And second of all, Serah…That is not my name anymore." _

Claire….if I heard that name right…Glared at her sister, but in a more…or should I say, less…menacing than usual glare. In fact, it almost looked like she was smiling in amusement.

I started to admire her features again… Her soft eyes when she smiled, the beautiful curve of her lips when she smiles….

I scolded myself again.

STOP….STARING…..ESTHEIM! You don't want to end up like Snow there would you?

I looked at Snow, still lying in a corner, like a lump of muscle.

Good point….

For that whole period, starting from Snow being bashed up until the two sisters started arguing, I kept quiet.

I feel so out of place…

I look at Serah then my eyes zoomed in to her finger.

It's…An engagement ring.

Why didn't I notice it before?

It must be from Snow or…someone else.

But, if she got married, how come I wasn't invited?

I hate to interrupt the two girls, but I had to get to the bottom of this.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but Serah, can I ask a question?"

She stopped talking to Claire and turned to look me.

"Yes, Hope?" She seemed a little annoyed I stopped her conversation.

Great….as if I don't feel guilty enough for admiring (staring, ogling…Whatever) her sister's physique.

"Right….So, um…Alright…err…" I stuttered. It was still hard to absorb the fact that she is married already…

"So, Ahh…When did it happen?" I ask hesitantly.

She just gave me a confused look.

"When…When did you get married?" I ask nervously.

Her eyes widened and she looked at her engagement ring.

Claire just glared at Serah.

"_Serah, why didn't I hear about this?" She hissed._

She sure sounds intimidating.

Serah looked at me then back at her engagement ring.

"Well, technically I am not yet married, just engaged." She said softly.

Claire let out a small sigh of relief, but I can tell she is still miffed at the fact that her sister is getting married.

I just looked at my shoes.

Snow must have recovered because he strode over to us.

"Uh, anyone up for dinner?" he asked.

…

"Oh, am I interrupting something…?" he hesitantly asked.

….

No one is saying anything… I thought to myself.

"Right, I guess I'll go then…." He pouted before leaving.

I snapped back to reality and shouted at him.

"Wait! Snow, you wanted to say something…?"

He came back and gave us a crooked smile.

"Well, dinner is getting cold, so how about it? Chow time?" He asked happily.

Claire and Serah just kept quiet, not wanting to move.

Snow and I went to a corner to discuss the current situation.

I discussed it for quite some time with Snow.

"Hope….was it?" he asked.

"Yeah… "I paused…

"Look, what are we going to do? They aren't budging at all!" I whispered sharply to him.

He thought for a while before replying.

"Damn it, dinner is getting cold too! Serah's cooking is the best and I would hate for it to go to waste…" Snow said in a genuinely depressed tone.

His face lit up as if with an idea and said,

"How about we carry them to the dinner table?"

I glared at him.

"Well, then who is carrying who?" I asked, fearing the worst.

He smirked and said,

"Naturally I'm carrying Serah." He said it in a sly tone.

Oh, I see…So he wants to hang me out to dry then?

Leave me to the mercy of Claire Farron…

He smirks at my panicked face and poked me.

How about this, I'll give you…500 Gil if you do something extra."

I stared at him.

"500 is nothing to me, but I'm not one to back down from a good dare." I paused…

"It's a deal." I replied confidently.

He smirked.

Uh oh, something tells me I won't like this... I thought to myself.

"We both carry them to the table…BRIDAL STYLE!" He said triumphantly.

My face widened in horror and my mouth went agape.

This, for me…is a lose – lose situation.

I'm so dead either way, if I agree, Claire will kill me. If I disagree, Snow will rib me for life. I can't for the life of me decide which is worse.

I sigh out loud.

"I guess a deal is a deal." I say grudgingly.

He looked at the two girls before looking back.

"We are going to have to sneak behind them and pick them up." He grinned mischievously.

"She can sue me for Sexual Harassment y'know…" I say softly.

"Why me…? I shouldn't have accepted that stupid bet." I sigh audibly.

Snow grinned again and replied with a "No backing out!"

We both went behind the two girls.

They were too spaced out to notice anything.

I sucked in my breath and swooped my hand towards her legs, picking her up bridal style.

She snapped back to reality and panicked as she lost balance.

She clung on to me as if I was a lifeline and started panting, as if she just had the scare of her life...

Judging by her reaction, I can safely say….I'm so dead.

It was as if we were indirectly hugging each other… And if you see it from a certain angle, it looks almost intimate.

Sure, I enjoyed it…But what about her?

I glanced at her briefly and noticed her face flush…

She must have regained her senses because her eyes look…panicked, like any sane person, but her regular look returned after a minute or so.

I just gingerly carried her toward the table and she, apparently…was still too shocked to say anything.

I started to blush a little when she looked at me… But I continued to walk toward the table.

'Lightning's Perspective'

_So Serah is engaged now… I thought bitterly to myself._

_I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy of her, even though I'm happy for her._

_She is no longer the helpless little girl I had to take care of after mom and dad died…_

_My thoughts shifted towards the future._

_Serah would have a really bright future ahead of her…_

_A big family, lots of children, a man who cares about her…._

_And me?_

_I'm doomed to live alone for the rest of my life._

_Serah would be living happily with her husband while I…I will be all alone._

_I felt like I was about to cry until…._

_I was suddenly swept off the ground._

_I momentarily lost balance and panicked._

_It happened so suddenly that I quickly clung to the nearest thing I could find._

_I was scared so badly that I started to pant uncontrollably. _

_When my senses came back, I found out I was…moving._

_I was being carried…Bridal style._

_I flush as I think about how this could have happened…?_

_It seems like someone is carrying me toward the dinner table._

_I was clinging to that person's neck…Almost intimately._

_I was still panting because the shock hadn't worn off._

_I was a little scared to see who was carrying me._

_I half expected to see Snow and was ready to deck him for humiliating me._

_I looked up and…._

_It wasn't Snow._

_It was…Hope. At least, that's what Serah calls him._

_He was blushing a little and I could fell his chest rising and falling._

_I could feel his muscles while he was carrying me._

_He wasn't anything like Snow, but he had hidden muscles under that coat he was wearing._

_I started to blush furiously…I felt so small in his arms._

_Why is this happening to me…? I thought to myself._

_That must have been the hundredth time I asked that same question._

_This Mix of emotions never happened before, at least until I met Hope._

_Eventually, he set me down and I let go of his neck, trying in vain to regain my balance._

_I nearly fell until he grabbed my arms and helped me balance myself._

_I turned to him, and…I…_

_I did something to him which he didn't really deserve. All he did was try and help me to the dinner table so I could eat and he couldn't drag me…That would be rude._

_Instead, he actually was kind enough to carry me here._

_And how did I repay him?_

'Hope's Perspective'

*SLAP!*

The sound echoed through the room.

I could feel my jaw almost dislocating and I sort of spun in mid-air, falling unceremoniously on the floor.

She slapped me.

It was understandable, I breached her personal space, harassed her sexually (in a sense) and worst of all…Humiliated her.

A big, red mark embedded itself on the side of my face.

Claire put a hand to her mouth, as if shocked that she did that.

Why does she look hesitant? I sure deserved that…

She gave me an apologetic look and looked at her shoes.

Snow helped me up with a small grin on his face.

He whispered to me,

"I guess I owe you 500 Gil then?"

He then helped me regain balance and checked the mark on my face.

He cringed a little.

He looked at me and said,

"It looks pretty bad, nothing permanent though…But you can expect it to be there for a while."

I rubbed the mark and cringed in pain. I almost cried out.

Serah sighed and took a wet towel and pressed it against the mark.

I hissed in pain.

"Sorry about Claire, she's just like that." Serah cracked a small smile.

I sigh in defeat.

"No, I deserved it…" I was cut off by Claire.

"_N-no you didn't! I just….overreacted." She blurted out._

All three of us gave her a confused look, as if no one expected her to say that.

She just blushed and looked away.

**After everything settled down, the dinner table…**

Serah sat next to Snow and I was sitting with Claire.

Miraculously, the dinner wasn't that cold and it was still edible.

Unfortunately, my jaw prevented me from eating.

Claire noticed it first and inquired.

I sigh before replying.

"My jaw…It's not working properly…"

She looked at her plate, guilt obvious on her face.

I gave her a pat on the back.

"Don't worry about it…It'll heal in time…" I reassured her.

She gave me a small smile before continuing to eat.

Serah was the first to break the awkward silence.

"So, Hope…Care to tell me how you knew my sister before today?" She inquired.

I paused a while before answering.

"Well, I met her at this café called 'Café of Joy' and she was assigned to my table." I said slowly.

Serah raised her eyebrow before further inquiring.

"But I don't think she is one to just simply get to know her customer." Serah paused before continuing.

"Especially a guy…She never mixed around with any, aside from Snow or the waiters."

"So, why did she take a particular interest in you?"

She directed the question at me…

But Claire answered first.

"_How often do you see someone with silver hair?"_

She was unable to infuse that sentence with any sort of conviction so we ruled it out.

She relented and told Serah the full story.

"_He came in, looking pretty gloomy…as if he lost everyone close to him."_

I cringed at that, ironic…huh? She got it in one go…

That reaction did not go unnoticed by Lightning.

_So…He did lose everyone then…? She thought to herself, pity welling up in her._

"_Amodar assigned me to his table, saying that if I am unable to get a good customer feedback from the next customer, he would fire me."_

Serah looked a little sad; she probably thinks that Claire lost her job.

"_At the end of the dinner, he left with a smile. He gave me 500 Gil as a tip and a feedback slip."_ Lightning paused for a little bit before continuing…

"_The feedback slip was mostly about the waitress serving him…namely, me."_

Serah looked like she was preparing to comfort Claire for losing her job.

I was just listening intently. .. I knew what had happened, unlike Serah, who was still in the dark.

"_He complimented me on my exceptional service…" _Lightning was about to say something else but was cut off by a smirking Snow.

"So… 'Exceptional Service' Huh…?" He grinned mischievously.

Snow hinted at something with that tone of voice…

I quickly caught on and started blushing madly.

Nothing compared to Claire though…

She was flushed, and moments later I could feel movement underneath the table, followed by Snow collapsing on the floor, moaning "My…Balls…." Before crying out in pain…

Claire cleared her Throat and continued.

"_Amodar gave me a raise and…" _Claire looked at me with soft eyes.

Wow…I never saw her eyes like this before…

"_And I would just like to say…Thank you, Hope." _She then looked away, slightly blushing.

Why does she blush whenever she looks at me…? I wonder to myself.

"No problem…." I answered before asking a question.

"By the way, is your name Claire?" I ask her.

Her eyes hardened for a little while before disappearing.

"_No, my name is….Lightning." _She replied.

"I see…I'll just call you Light then."

She gave me a weird look before replying,

"_Sure….I don't mind…" _She said softly.

She agreed? I expected her to demand I call her 'Lightning'.

'Lightning's Perspective'

_Light huh…? That sounds like a nice name…_

_I suddenly thought of something and asked Serah,_

"_So Serah, how did YOU know Hope?" I gave her a questioning look._

_She shifted uncomfortably before replying,_

"He was my Ex-boyfriend…I dumped him a year ago."

_I cringed a little at this._

_She gave up Hope, who was such a nice, caring person…For a bungling oaf like snow?_

_At least it confirmed on thing, Hope had lost his girlfriend…_

_Does that mean that the reason he was depressed when I first met him was because he lost Serah? Or was there more to it…?_

_Serah looked at Hope solemnly and said,_

"Oh, I heard about your dad, I'm sorry about what happened, Hope."

_It was pretty obvious what she meant._

_Hope looked depressed for a little while before recovering._

"Its fine, I never was that friendly with him ever since mom died…"

_My heart was overwhelmed by the emotions and pity welling up in me._

_Hope had lost his family, lost his girlfriend…How does he keep going on…? _

_I was surprised he was even still walking, let alone smiling and talking normally._

_Hope thought of something and brought it up._

"About what you said earlier today, you are engaged to…Snow? But aren't married yet?" he asked with curiosity filling his voice.

_Serah paused for a while before replying,_

"Yes, he proposed to me last week. And I agreed." Serah said softly.

_If Hope was depressed, he sure did a good job of hiding it._

_He glanced at his watch and sat up._

"Thank you for Dinner Serah, but I'm afraid I have to go." He paused before looking at me.

"Oh, and it was a pleasure meeting you…Light." He smiled.

_He then walked towards the door and closed it behind him._

_All sorts of emotions started battering my heart._

_I can't make a heads or tails of it…_

_But it feels an awful lot like…_

_**A crush…?**_

**Authors Notes**

**Yes, very very OOC! Lightning does not exactly love him; she is merely accepting how she feels about him. This is just the beginning of their relationship. Reviews are appreciated and so is support for my community! Thanks a lot!**


	4. A Job?

**Authors Notes**

**You know….When I got this idea sometime during my first exam of the year and I wrote it at like….2 am, I never expected it to be the most popular of my stories…Gotta love my imagination, huh?**

**Haha, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, I never did have much confidence in myself…**

**Don't worry my readers; I will never quit this story! Not even if the biggest writers block attacks me! Unless I die of course…That's unavoidable at one point... Haha, I'll finish this series, and then I will write another awesome one! Then again I already am writing many other stories…**

**You must understand that I must cater to ALL my readers, I can't just keep updating this, and I have 3 other stories to update! And I have a life too…I'm not so free to keep writing…Besides, the longer I take, the more edits I make, the better quality the story takes! (It rhymes =D)**

**Once again, PLEASE PLEASE support(subscribe/post something)to my community (Hope X Light)…I would REALLY LIKE…Appreciate it…Subscribe please! =D. When I'm happy, my creative juices tend to flow and I work on my stories faster! So subscribe to my community at community/Hope_X_Light/90923/**

**Oh, and have fun reading this and reviews are always appreciated! XD**

**Hope I didn't disappoint you guys with this chapter….sigh…**

**A little short, and I apologize for that! But I wanted to maintain the 'Cliffhanger' Element of this story…Heh heh!**

**I do not own FF 13 and blah blah…Same old shit…**

**This may be the last I post in a while, life is very busy…So I need to sort it out. Really sorry guys, not just this story, but the others as well.**

IV – A Job?

'Serah's Perspective'

Guess dinner wasn't such a good idea….

Claire just left a while ago…Actually, almost directly after Hope left.

I'm cleaning up the dinner table with Snow…My soon to be husband.

I still remember the look Claire gave me…I know it all too well.

It clearly said 'Why did you dump Hope? He is so much better than that bungling Oaf you're marrying.'

I would have to agree a little bit with her…But I just don't feel right with Hope.

Yet…I don't regret dumping him…Because he is now single. And not only that, I can tell Claire kind of likes him. She finally has a chance at happiness, far be it for me to stand in the way! Especially Hope. Him of all people I would trust Claire to.

I smile as I think about what the future might hold for them.

Snow laughs for a bit before asking me something.

"Serah, are you seriously going to continue trying to hook Sis and….Hope…up?" He asked.

I smile at him.

"Why not? She is more friendly with him than with any other men I have seen her with…So I think, that right now Hope would have the best chance of helping her open up…I mean, she is even more friendly with him than with Amodar, or even you! Hell, she can actually hold an actual conversation with him!" I say, still smiling.

He just comes over and hugs me.

"So Serah, our big day is coming soon, huh?" Snow mused.

I smile.

"Yes, it is…Snow. Hopefully by then, Claire would already have found…Happiness."

'Hope's Perspective'

"Sigh…."

"What an awkward night…." I say to myself.

I rub my cheek again.

"OUCH!" I hiss in pain.

It still hurts!

I sigh again as I think back to what happened that night…. What Serah had said…More importantly…What she was wearing…

Sure, I still missed Serah, I still held on with Hopes she would take me back…

That was nicely crushed into pieces, and incinerated… With that little ring on her finger…

I almost cried…I WANTED to cry…But the tears just won't come. WHY?

I let out a strained sigh.

Well, the past is the past…I just got to move on…

I'm…happy, for Serah…She is finally going to get married.

She always talked about how she would have a nice, big…Happy family.

I still remember when she jokingly said she would marry me next time… Fat chance of that now…

I'm going to drown in this deluge of depression! Think! Think about something nice Estheim! Like…

Lightning.

Her athletic shape, her beautiful face, her long, pink hair…Those sapphire blue eyes…

I sigh, but this time in admiration…

She is just so beautiful…More than Serah, if I dare to even think so…

I continue to dwell in my thoughts of Lightning.

Just thinking about her makes my day brighter….Easier to get through.

I smile as I walk home.

"I have to see her more often…My life could use more happiness."

I grin widely as I unlock the door.

But, when I walk into my empty house…

I become depressed again…

I just remembered….

Mom and Dad are gone….forever.

I let out another long, strained sigh.

I pick up the newspaper from the table and walk towards my room.

'Lightning's Perspective'

"_Well, dinner was a disaster…" I said to myself._

_I think back to the events that transpired._

_What had possessed Hope to do such a thing! Carrying me like…that…_

_My train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a flashback._

_I start to blush furiously._

It just reminds me so much of my dream…About how he would carry me toward my room….where…

I'm too embarrassed to get into detail…

_Just thinking about him makes me have these weird, awkward but somewhat enjoyable daydreams._

_And I just love those dreams I would have at night…Like I did last night._

_Especially that particular dream…_

_Where I would find myself in a white dress, Snow escorting me down the aisle…_

_At the end of it was Hope, and a pastor._

_It would go as any Wedding would, until the vows._

_He would always say it with such love…And devotion… I just feel like crying…!_

_And also those dreams where he takes me to my room, and….and…._

_Oh the indecency! _

_I blush again…_

_Why is it I can't help but blush whenever I think oh Hope? I only just met him a day ago…_

_This, this has never happened to me before… _

_Ever since my parents died, I shut myself out, steeled myself for what needed to be done._

_I had to support Serah, to do that, I had to find multiple jobs to support her education…I also had to protect her from creeps._

_One day….That was all it took for him to invade my heart._

_And now…I'm slowly starting to come out of this shell…All because of one person._

_Hope._

_I smile._

"_Hope, huh? You sure live up to your name…" _

"_Because you have just given me Hope…"_

_I smile while blushing a little and opened the door to my house._

_When I went it…I noticed something._

_There's no one here…other than me._

_Sigh, I forgot…Serah Is living with Snow now._

"_Sure is lonely here…." I say softly._

_Maybe one day I won't be living alone anymore…_

_I smile as I went into my room and fell on the bed…_

_A beautiful dream beginning to form in my mind…._

'Hope's Perspective'

I sigh as I listen to my friend rambling on and on…on the phone.

He just keeps trying to cheer me up, but just makes me feel worse in the end!

"So...Hope…Hope…ARE you even listening?"

I was still daydreaming and I heard the phone go dead.

Heh, he hung up…

Don't get me wrong, He's not a bad guy, he just sucks at trying to cheer someone up.

I sigh as I check out the newspaper.

'TOP NEWS! BARTHOLOMEW ESTHEIM, DEAD FROM….'

I quickly turn the page to avoid having to read the details.

'BARTHOLOMEW ESTHEIM, HUSBAND OF NORA ESTHEIM…DEAD FROM….'

Why is every page the same?

All of a sudden, Lightning appeared in front of me and slapped me, hard.

I snap out of it and realize I was daydreaming, it was all just illusions.

Whew…Thank god I snapped out of it.

Another slap would have HURT!

I skimmed through the whole newspaper and went to sleep.

**Next Morning**

'Lightning's Perspective'

"You may now make your vows" The pastor said.

_Hope looked at me with those gleaming green orbs of his._

_His eyes were full of love and devotion…_

"I, Hope Estheim..."

"Take you, Lightning Claire Farron…"

"As my lawfully wedded wife…"

"And I will stand by you no matter what…"

"And I will never abandon you…Even in death, will I still continue to love you."

_His eyes…They were gleaming the whole time…_

_He said it with so much love that I could feel my heart speeding up._

_I was about to start making my vow when…._

_BRIIIING!_

_I crush the alarm clock with my fist._

_Why does this accursed alarm clock always choose to ring at the best time?(I meant that sarcastically of course)_

_I sigh as I wake up…_

_I have to go to work today….sigh…_

_I stuff my waitress uniform into a plastic bag and carry it to work._

'Hope's Perspective'

YAWWWN….

I wake up and rub my eyes…

I went to check my schedule.

Let's see….

_**Morning Afternoon Night**_

_**Nothing Nothing Nothing**_

I sigh out loud.

I have nothing to do! Dad left me a huge inheritance… So I don't need to work…but I'm so bored….

Can't hurt to try it out I guess….

I checked the newspaper for this morning and skimmed through the job page.

I spotted something of interest.

"Hmm….This looks like an interesting job…" I murmur to myself sleepily.

I was feeling really groggy in the morning to notice the name of the place I would be working at.

I cooked a hot dog to eat on the way.

I put on some formal clothes and went to the address stated.

I was halfway finished with my breakfast (Hot Dog) when I reached the address.

The name of the place so shocking, that my mouth went agape…The Hot Dog Falling to the floor…Which comically makes a 'plop' sound when it hit the floor.

On the top of the place had a sign saying…

'_**Café of Joy'**_

**Authors Notes**

**HAHA! Gotcha didn't i? Never expected this, huh? Well, maybe you did…..whatever. Sorry for the lame quality this story has, but it's all in preparation for the next chapter! Sorry for the extremely short length too… Don't hate me please.**

**I need some help, how many chapters do you think I should make for this story? If I make it really long, it would have some pointless side stories. If I make it shorter, I could just go for the climax of the story. Let me know in the review section =D. **

**Once again, please support my community by subscribing or posting something! Thanks a lot, see you next time! **

**May be awhile before the next time, but see you then!**


	5. Job Interview?

**Authors Notes**

**OH GOD IM SO SORRY! This took forever to come out. In fact, I had exams for the past week, and it just ended like, a few days ago. So now I'm back and ready to write!**

**I love this series; I mean…It's one of my personal favorites, never mind that, I love ALL my stories.**

**Once again, PLEASE, PLEASE support (subscribe/post something)to my community (Hope X Light)…I would REALLY LIKE…Appreciate it…Subscribe please! =D. When I'm happy, my creative juices tend to flow and I work on my stories faster! So subscribe to my community at www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Hope_X_Light/90923/**

**Replace (dot) with .**

**Oh, reviews are also appreciated! I think I'll try to make this interesting…Hopefully I won't royally fail at it.**

**I warn you, this chapter SUCKS…Really bad. I just want to punch myself. Sorry, I'll try to make the next one better….I hope.**

**I wanted to try out a few new things in this chapter. Kudos to you if you can find out what's so different. But because of it and a few things, this chapter sucked.**

V – Job Interview?

'Hope's Perspective'

This can't be happening, these silly little things only happen in movies…. I thought, mouth still hanging open.

But it's true; it's really happening…The ridiculous, little scene that ONLY ever happened in a comedy or some drama.

I sigh out loud.

Come on Estheim, you can still back off….You don't HAVE to take this job…

Before I could rethink my choice…I suddenly thought of someone…

Lightning.

I sigh in admiration.

"So…She works here huh?" I mused out loud.

Wait…. That means I can see her every day if I work here!

The thought already got me excited…

I was about to walk inside when I saw some guy storming off.

He was mumbling something about a sucky job and a stuck up manager or something…

Wait a sec, it's that waiter I met the other day…

My guess is as good as yours, but my theory is that he got fired because he messed up. Or maybe he quit?

Messed up or whatever… I really shouldn't care, it doesn't concern me.

I walk inside quietly.

Then the first person I saw when I entered was…Lightning.

She was busy serving another table.

I sigh in relief.

I'd rather not….talk to her right now. It's already going to be awkward with her when I start working here… So, best to let her know ONLY AFTER I start.

I notice I was staring again and I quickly look away.

So I'll just walk around that side… I thought to myself.

I just slunk around the corner and eventually I found the manager's office.

I was already nervous before I arrived at the door…Actually opening it almost made my heart jump out of my body.

As I opened the door, I heard a loud sigh…And a small chucking noise.

"So, Mark…You decided to come back after a…." He stopped mid-sentence as he sees me.

He stared awhile before righting himself.

Mark...? That must be the name of the waiter…

"Oh, oh right…I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else…Ahem, I am Amodar…The manager of this establishment. How may I help you?" he said, stuttering a little at the beginning.

I look around nervously before answering him.

"W-well, I think I saw in the newspaper article that you're looking to hire new waiters…" I say nervously.

He appraises me and smiles.

"Yes, yes….Alright then, let's get on to the interview." He said with a smirk.

Oh no….An interview? I thought to myself in horror.

I started sweating at this point.

Amodar noticed and quipped,

"If it's that hot, you should take off that big jacket of yours…I'll turn on the AC."

I nod gratefully and set my jacket aside.

I sat in front of him and he takes out a file…It reads, 'Employee File'.

He takes out a piece of paper that looks kind of like an examination paper.

"Alright, shall I start? Mister, Um, what's your name, son?" he asked.

"H-huh? Um…." I stutter..

"Ah….It's H-Hope…..Um, Hope Estheim." I finish quickly and looked away.

If you're wondering why I'm so nervous, it's because I never had an interview before…This is the first time I ever WANTED a job.

"Mr. Estheim, this is your first interview, is it not?" he asked curiously.

I nod quickly.

He suddenly raised his brow, as if he just remembered something.

"Alright…Mr. Estheim." He huffed.

He nods and writes something on the piece of paper.

"Alright, first off…Oh and please answer truthfully, why do you want this job." He grinned while asking.

"What? Are they really supposed to ask this kind of question in an interview?" I gave him that weird, questioning look.

I slap my hand to my mouth…I accidently said what I was thinking…Out loud.

God, I'm such an idiot…

I think I just blew any chance of getting this job…all the way to the afterlife.

But to my surprise, Amodar simply chuckled.

"We normally don't, but Mr. Estheim… Your dad passed on, correct? Therefore he must have left you, his only son…All his inheritance. You should be a very rich person…So why this job?" He said with an even voice… Although he faltered a little somewhere in the middle.

I feel small under his gaze…

"Well, I really have nothing to do, and I needed a job because even though I'm rich, I don't want to be some lazy lump that just lies at home...And the money won't last forever." I try my best to sound normal, but failed…Epically.

He nodded and wrote on his paper.

Without thinking, I also blurted out…

"Um, and I really wanted to see someone who works here so I thought…."

I slapped my mouth again.

TMI! TMI! (Too much information), I scream inwardly.

He raised his eyebrow at me again.

"Yes, yes…I see. Very well then, any work experience?" he asked with a questioning voice.

I fidget nervously…

This was the question that I dreaded.

"Well, I guess I did follow my dad to work once…His office was really big and he works at some really big name company as a senior manager… I got a glimpse at what he does, but no real experience." I say normally, much to my surprise.

Amodar seems taken aback by that.

"Right, so it's…Minimal experience. What kind of pay are you looking for?" He gave me a look which defined…In fact; I'm not sure what it defines…

At this point, I was kind of zoned out thinking about seeing Lightning every day…

"Anything as long as I can see her everyday…." I absentmindedly mumbled.

I found out and slapped my mouth…

SECOND TIME TODAY, ESTHEIM! I scream inwardly.

But, no matter what I do, my mind just keeps picturing that slim, lithe body…That beautiful pink hair and sapphire blue eyes….

He raised his eyebrow.

"Very well then…" He clears his throat…

He looks at me solemnly…Which kinda changed into a ridiculous smirk.

"Well, Mr. Estheim, please snap out of it so that I may say something." He snapped his fingers in front of me.

I snap back to reality…

"Ah, right…So, how did I do?" I ask nervously.

He sighs…

"I'm very sorry to say that…." He started…

My spirit immediately dampens.

So, I didn't pass the bar? I thought to myself pitifully.

"That you have gotten the job! We're short on staff so you may begin immediately." He said, full of spirit.

That's sure stirred me up; he sure gave me a big scare…He was just teasing me, wasn't he!

He passes me a time table.

"Here, work out what time and when you want to work." He said, smiling.

I take it and think to myself…

I don't know what days Lightning works on…So which day should I…

Amodar interrupted me by shoving a piece of paper into my hands.

"Oh, Mister Estheim. That is Farron's timetable. Use it to figure out what days you want to come and work." He said, with a hint of slyness in his voice.

How did he….?

I couldn't care less at this point.

I smile at the manager.

"Thank you, Mister Amodar…But where are my waiter clothes?" I ask.

He tossed me a key.

"It's at the employee dressing room. It's in your locker, and that's the key to your locker." He said, already occupying himself with the notes he wrote about me.

I give him a curt nod.

I was about to open the door, when it suddenly opened.

The door hit me square in the face and I fell backwards.

I clutched my face in pain.

Oh man…That hurt….So much, that I think the bone supporting my nose just snapped….

"_Oh god, I'm so sorr…." _The stranger started to apologize but stopped mid-sentence

That voice…. It sounds so….FAMILIAR…

It's definitely the highly refined, beautiful voice of a woman named Lightning Farron.

It would be alright to imagine she was just as shocked as I was….Right?

She kept looking at me then at Amodar then away then back at me…Like she was confused…A lot.

"_Um, I'm sorry but mind filling me in on what happened?" She asked curiously._

I groan.

"I'm sorry, but mind getting your foot off me?" I smile pitifully.

Apparently, she stepped on me after she opened the door, and she forgot to take it off because she was…shocked? Shocked to see me, perhaps?

She gasped and took her foot off me.

She then helped me up.

Amodar decided to fill her in.

"Your….ahem, boyfriend over there decided to work here just so he can see you every day." Amodar said, with a hint of sarcasm and slyness in his voice.

She glared at him.

"_What? Now, whatever gave you that idea...?" She said, voice hinting at Critical Sarcasm._

I figured it would be a good time to excuse myself so I tried to walk out….

But to no Avail.

Suddenly a hand grabbed me by the collar and pulled me back in.

"_Hope, don't you even think of leaving until you give me an explanation." Her voice had a hint of sarcasm, but was definitely dripping with venom._

She gave Amodar a funny look and she dragged me out.

I cupped my hands and silently prayed I would get out of this alive…

'Amodar's Perspective'

Ah…I wanted him to start work immediately…But I guess I should let Farron do whatever she wants to him first… I thought to myself.

I sit back in my chair.

Well, well…Mr. Estheim…I never expected to see you come in for an interview.

I look at the customer satisfaction form that I kept in my drawer.

I smile.

"I guess you really…live up to your name, huh…Mr. Hope Estheim."

I sit back in my chair, and chuckled.

This is going to be an interesting next few years…

I can't wait for the day Farron comes and says that one line…

'Mr Amodar, what am I going to do? Hope just proposed to me and I, I just…Don't know anymore!'

That'd definitely make my day.

I grin like some kind of retarded person.

I chuckle to myself.

"Well, they better not forget to send me my invitation to the wedding!" I laugh out loud.

'Hope's Perspective'

As I'm being dragged away by Light, and after I prayed for my life…

I suddenly remembered something.

My jacket….I left it at Amodar's Office!

**Authors Notes**

**I know you expected better from me, and I'm sorry that this ended up like crap.**

**I don't feel so good nowadays, and my writing skills are deteriorating.**

**So, if you have anything that can either**

**Cheer me up**

**Get me out of my slump**

**Inspire me**

**Make me feel happy**

**Make me feel like SOMEONE actually likes this story and that I'm not wasting my time writing it.**

**Thanks! See you in the next chapter or in another story!**

**Umm, yeah. Support my community please!**

**I sure edited this chapter a lot, and I still think it sucks. **


	6. First Day At Work

**Author's Notes (and apologies)**

**Ohhh man where do I begin?! I am very well aware that I have not updated this since forever, and a fan recently brought to light that it's nearly been a year! Sh!t, I really need to buck up.**

**Anyway, really very, very sorry for the delay, Life is very demanding for me right now, and my mother is being rather unreasonable! Well, I promise to try my best to churn out more good stuff (hopefully) during my summer holidays! I feel my writing got worse lately, please bear with me!**

**Anyway, I will be updating my other stories soon as well; fans can look forward to that, Thanks for the continued support! Please leave reviews, fav's or likes, I lost a few followers and I'm getting nearly zero reviews which makes me vereh (='( ) sad face. Do show some support folks!**

VI – First Day at Work

'Hope's Perspective'

That jacket was expensive…I think it cost me 5000 Gil or something, it was made from...

"GAH!" I cried out in pain.

Lightning just tugged at my shirt, suffocating me for a short while.

"Light, give me a break, please! Amodar needs me to start work…" I appealed to her, but to no avail.

"_You're not going anywhere, nor are you going to be doing anything…Until I get an answer I am SATISFIED WITH!" _She ended with a huff.

I cry inwardly.

I try my best to occupy my thought with trivial stuff, but I know…That what happens next is unavoidable.

I was pushed against a wall as I slumped downwards. Lightning stood in front of me and stared down at me as she was stepping on my crotch. This looks really awkward.

This feels kind of…Well, strangely, it feels rather good, her foot…

Oh my god, Estheim, what are you thinking?!

I reprimand myself inwardly as I wipe the retarded grin off my face. But, not before Light noticed.

She kicked me in the stomach and I gasped for breath.

"_You're a really sick bastard, you know that?" _She breathed an insult at me.

"_Anyway, answer me. And I won't take bullshit from you. Why, oh why in the heavens did you come here to work?" _She asked frankly, seriously… Her eyes are piercing daggers through me!

"Ah, yes…Well, about that…Err…" I stumbled frantically for words, anything to explain myself to her while avoiding the truth.

"Err, of course, I'm in it for the mone…" I began but then she leveled her head with me and slammed her hand beside my face.

"_That's complete bull and you know it, Hope. You're rich. I know it, the other day you ordered the fillet which cost 500 Gil, one of the most high end things we serve. Not to mention you gave me a tip equivalent to the price of that…And, judging by that jacket in Amodar's room, which by the way I know is NOT his, looks like it cost a hefty sum. So you better tell me the truth. NOW." _She said it all in one breath, frankly, with a 'don't mess with me' tone going.

I figure it is in my best interests to appease her 'curiosity' before she really strangles me.

"Okay, okay I'll fess up…" I stop midway as I took a deep breath.

"_Well, hurry it up Hope. Why, oh why did you choose this job?" _Lightning mused out loud.

"Why else? To see you, of course!" I huffed impatiently, yet chuckled immediately after at her reaction.

Her face kind of literally blew up in embarrassment; her facial expression became bewildered, followed by a dark shade of red covering her face.

Though of course, her fist ended up in my stomach.

"Ouch!" I gasped in pain.

She strode away quickly, as if running away.

"Haha…" I chuckled dryly.

"She's definitely an interesting person…" I mused to myself aloud.

Yup... Interesting…I thought as I began to lost consciousness.

'Lightning's Perspective'

_What a jerk…I thought to myself._

_Teasing me like that, he ought to be ashamed! _

_Though…I was a little, no, I was really happy when he said that. To think, that he wanted to see someone like me enough to actually apply for a job next to me…_

_I sigh as I wondered whether or not he was serious when he said that. Logic tells me no, and yet…Why do I get the feeling like he really meant it?_

_Agh! I shouldn't dwell on this! Get a hold of yourself, Farron. You're Lightning Farron, the person who swore to protect her sister from the forces of the world…_

_And…that Serah's happiness was enough, was all that I needed to be…Happy. But I know that I can never be truly happy that way. It was good enough for me for awhile, but for some reason… now, I crave the love and affection that she gets…_

_Sigh, I better get back to work._

_Hope came by to see me during our break time. He had the same break time as me…? I was wondering about the fact when suddenly…_

_Amodar._

_That crafty bastard…_

_I simply ignored Hope. Not out of spite, but rather…I was embarrassed._

_He seemed disappointed that I gave no response but he just smiled, apologised for bothering me and ran off to do his work. I do feel bad about it, but I figured it's for the best. Things would be more awkward otherwise._

* * *

_Sigh, I can't believe Amodar sent me to babysit some other newbies._

_Yup, I think I'd rather be thinking about Hope…._

_No!_

_Damn it, lately I've been thinking of nothing other than him! It's definitely all his fault…_

_I mutter unintelligibly to myself until I heard a cry…_

_And a flaming wall in front of me…_

_And two men running away in fear…_

_Cowards._

_There was a matchbox on the table, and a tipped oil bottle. It was pretty obvious to put two and two together to know what happened…_

_I sigh in irritation as I opened my mouth...Then closed it._

_I would call for help, but then I thought about the ridiculous situation and held my mouth._

_Damn it Farron! Is your pride really going to act up here? I cursed as tears of frustration welled up in my eyes._

_It won't relent; it just won't allow me to call for help!_

_I held my breath as the fire came closer to me following the thin trail of oil…_

_Someone…Please, Help me!_

_Someone…Save me…Please…_

_Somebody…Someone…_

_Hope….!_

_His face flashed before my eyes…Until I realize that it's actually him…_

'Hope's Perspective'

That was awfully distant of her… I thought to myself as I placed a dish onto the table of the customer.

I was moving dishes until I smelt some smoke coming from the secondary kitchen, which is used to train new cooks.

Usually I wouldn't think anything of it, someone would do something. But I just had this feeling…

I dropped the plates I was carrying and immediately rushed to the scene, grabbing the nearby fire extinguisher.

"Hey, is anybody there!" I cried out frantically, as if searching for a specific person…

I notice a slight pink colour amidst the flames…

"Light! Don't worry, I'll save you!" I exclaimed as I let loose the fire extinguisher upon the flames.

After it was over I threw the extinguisher to the side and rushed to Light's side.

"Hey, are you alright? Light, answer me!" I cried out.

She opened her eyes and blinked several times.

"_Hope…? What happened?" _ She asked softly.

"You were trapped by fire, but don't worry! You're safe now." I sighed in relief.

"_Y-you saved…me?" _She questioned me, voice cracking a little.

I smiled happily as I said,

"Of course! Anytime you need me, I'll be right there…" I chuckle.

She suddenly blushed bright red…

Followed by a punch to my face….

"OW!" I exclaimed loudly as I stumbled backwards.

I think that broke my cheekbone…I thought as I rubbed my cheek in pain.

Light began to walk away, taking quick steps.

"How is that any way to treat the person who saved you…?" I muttered as if complaining.

She froze for a moment before resuming movement away from the scene.

I get certain vibes from her at the time of her departure…'That was your own fault' was emanating from her. And I don't get that, what did I do?

* * *

I got scolded by Amodar a little later for breaking plates…But I got applauded for saving Light. He thanked me and said: "But this good deed cancels out with your fluke with the plates!" sarcastically.

As I walk home from work, full of sweat, I review what happened for the day.

Today was…Eventful, to say the least. Many things happened, and it was only my first day at work!

I contemplated various happenings and recollected other faint memories as I opened the door home and fell on my bed.

"Well… If today was any indication…Looks like my life will get more interesting from now on!" I smile happily as I roll about in my bed, gradually falling into a deep sleep.

_**Little would I suspect, that my life would also get all that much brighter, and filled with happiness in the days to come after overcoming a personal tragedy…**_

…...

"Oh, shit…I forgot to go get my jacket again!" I exclaimed loudly as I jerked up from bed.

**Author's Notes**

**FORESHADOWWWINGGGGGG!**

**Is it just me as the author, or does Light seem really TsunTsun in this chappy? (If you don't know it, Google it guys!) Still, I think I did better than I thought. She does seem pretty violent in this chapter, but maybe it's because she never dealt with these situations before?**


	7. A Date?

**Authors Notes**

**Hey-o! I finally found myself some free time. I'm so happy! Sigh, life has been so busy lately.**

**I really love Café of Joy; it is what I consider one of my best works since I wrote it really late at night when I wasn't allowed to use the computer. So, I decided to update this…Again. =)**

**Once again, Fav's, support for my C2 community and reviews are ALWAYS APPRECIATED! Especially since sometimes I get inspiration from seeing a nice review.**

**Sorry it's short, I suddenly felt like writing but I just don't have the free time! And I'm tired, but I thought I'd do something before I sleep.**

VII – A Date…?

'Lightning's Perspective'

_Damn it…I can't shake off this feeling of guilt building up in my chest!_

_I shook my head again, trying to rid myself of my 'conscience'._

_However, I do sort of feel bad for how I treated him lately. Even though he's been really kind and caring towards me…And all I've been doing it hitting him or being really distant._

_I mean, sure I'm really pampering him in my dreams…_

…_Damn it Farron you did it again!_

_I slap my face with both hands, trying to rid myself of the dream I remembered just a few seconds ago._

_Well, he really did come for me even though I never shouted for help…He saved my life. I haven't even thanked him but instead, I punched him! _

_Aghh…I can't take this! I guess I should make it up to him somehow. But, what should I do?_

_Dress up as a maid with cat ears and go to his house to 'serve' him for a day? …My face explodes in a deep red flush as soon as I thought about that._

_Sigh, I AM a grown woman with her needs too…But seriously, Farron?_

_I guess…I could just ask him to go out with me on a date…_

_No, erm, just asking him out for a friendly lunch together! Yeah, definitely…_

_I decided and walked over to the telephone and called Hope (whose number I got off Serah). As I waited for him to answer, a random thought passed through my mind…_

_I wonder if he's the kind of guy who does it on the first date?_

* * *

'Hope's Perspective'

"Oh, it's a brand new day, full of bright sparkly stuff coming through the window!" I sang in a rather broken tone.

Such a lovely day! I can't believe work was that fun! I can't wait to go see her again to…

Oh. Its Saturday…Damn, now I'm just sad!

I sigh and fell down on my bed with a 'plop' sound.

"I guess I'll just fantasize about Light again! Ah, I feel so dirty every time after though…"

As I got ready to take a nap, my phone rang.

What's this…An incoming call from…"My Lovely Future Wife"?

…I shouldn't have lent this to Serah. Though, Since it's Serah who named this…The person calling must be…!

"Oh! Uh…Light! Hey, what's going on…erm, how did you get my number anyway?" I stuttered and panicked as I totally messed up what I wanted to say.

"…_Hope? Are you alright?" She asked, concern evident in her voice._

"Oh, uh, No problem! I'm just ah…Nervous, I guess? The only girl who ever called me before was Serah, other than my…Late mother, I guess."

"_Oh, I'm sorry…" She apologised with a somewhat sad tone._

"N-no! Don't be! I'm really happy you called! I think my day just got 100% better already!" I affirmed.

There was a pause, and I could just imagine a look on her face similar to mine right now…A deep shade of red, but smiling.

"_Ahem…Erm, that aside, I was wondering if you were free toda-"_

"Definitely! If it's for you, I'll make sure I'm free no matter what!" I blurted out.

'Estheim, what the hell?' I shouted inwardly.

"_I'm happy to hear that…I…Guess?" _

She sounds embarrassed. Is that a good thing? I'm panicking so much; sweat is overtaking me right now.

"I'm sorry about how nervous I am…I never thought you'd ask me out on a date!" I said enthusiastically.

"_D-date? No! It definitely isn't a date…I just thought I'd ask you out as a friend…" She shouted, but her sentence nearly broke at the end._

FRIENDZONED! I thought to myself in horror.

"S-sorry for misunderstanding…G-go on! Don't mind me. Haha, I feel so stupid right now…" I scratched my head and smiled awkwardly.

I feel utterly miserable now. But Light is asking me out for lunch, that's good enough I guess.

"_Okay…So what time is good for you?" She asks politely._

"Anytime is fine! In fact, what suits you? It could even be now; I'll drop whatever I'm doing and come right over! After a…uh, shower of course." I panicked towards the end but managed to get my sentence across.

I could hear her take a deep breath.

"_O-Okay…I'll see you in about an hour, perhaps?" She asked softly._

"Most definitely! I'll be there in a flash!" I shout enthusiastically.

"_Okay…I'll see you then. Goodbye!" She whispered softly._

Beep…Beep…

Damn it Estheim, you screwed up any chance of getting on her good side. Not to mention she totally put you in your place…'A friend'.

I sigh as I walk over to my drawer to pick out one of my best suits…

Nah, she probably wouldn't appreciate that. I'll choose something a little less formal! It's not a date anyway…

As I was reminded of that fact, I slumped my shoulders in slight disappointment.

Stop being a sorry chap, Estheim! At least you know you standing with her…A friend…

Why do I feel so sad right now? "Just a friend" is fine, definitely! I'm happy I could be her…friend.

I sigh in resignation as I picked out my clothes for the day.

* * *

'Lightning's Perspective'

_Oh no…What have I done?!_

_I totally gave him the idea that it was a date and I just threw it in his face that it isn't…_

_It was such a good development and I screwed up! _

_It's definitely his fault! Saying something like that out of the blue, it's an expected outcome…!_

_Though…I really wanted to say it was. I really want this to be a special day for us…_

_It could have marked this date to be out first date anniversary!_

_NO! Farron, don't say that! You don't really know him all that well yet…_

"_Sigh…Oh well; I guess I can use this opportunity to get to know him better…As a friend, that is." I told myself._

_I walked over to my cupboard and opened it._

_To my horror, I had nothing but casual tops and baggy (sort of) jeans! My good clothes are being washed, meaning…_

_I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR FOR LUNCH WITH HOPE!_

_Oh no…Oh no, I have to think of something to do…_

_I panicked and walked about thinking about what to do, until suddenly…I got an idea._

_I guess I'll ask Serah! I'll just tell her it's for a…"Special Event". Of course, she'll get the wrong idea but I'll just cover it up! Yeah! It's a great idea._

_**NO, it wasn't…**_

* * *

**Authors Notes**

**Sorry folks, that's it! I'm really tired, and I truly believe that this time, the writing wasn't very good. I didn't use very good vocabulary this time around I guess, but whatever! This isn't English class. I do still believe my writing has degraded lately…**

**Gah, whatever! Anyway, feel free to do whatever you want, fav, review, whatever suits you! Hell, even flame me if you want, I guess. I'll be vereh ='( though.**


	8. Preparation and Revelation

**Authors Note**

**My stories tend to have a lot of reliance on dreams…But hey, I like dreams…And daydreaming too. They're pretty awesome.**

**Once again, Fav's, support for my C2 community and reviews are ALWAYS APPRECIATED! Especially since sometimes I get inspiration from seeing a nice review.**

**Also, I promised certain people that I WOULD indeed be updating this story sometime soon; I just was so busy and stuff…Sorry for the wait.**

**And, ugh…I'm no good at making risqué scenes, seriously. I try to make it Hot or something and I mostly fail. You'll see what I mean soon enough. (It's the first part right away, feel free to skip it if you don't want any borderline M material. Find the Line which separates it.) Honestly, i couldn't think of a good title.**

VIII – Preparation and Revelation

'Lightning's Perspective'

_I looked around his room, it was pretty amazing. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've ever really seen a guy's room…_

_Oh, it's tidier than I thought! And it smells, well, normal…Wait, what was I expecting? Maybe a certain kind of smell…_

_I shake my head to get the embarrassing thought out of it. I looked around, but Hope was nowhere to be found._

"_Huh…Inviting a girl into your room, and then suddenly leave her all alone?" I murmured softly._

_I had a sudden realization…_

_Wait, Hope invited me into his room…And I accepted?_

_I suddenly felt a presence behind me, followed by a warm embrace._

"_W-Wha? Hope, what are you doing!" I shouted, startled at the sudden action._

_He didn't answer me but instead continued to hug me tightly, and suddenly he began nibbling on my ear._

"_Wait, Wait! What are you planning to do…!" I shouted once again._

_He paused for a little bit before whispering softly in my ear,_

"Come on, Light…I'm pretty sure you get the implication when a guy loves a girl, he invites her to his room and she accepts?"

_He continued to lightly nibble on my ear as his hands wandered around…_

"_I-I just thought it would be nice to get to know you better by meeting you and talking in your…Room…" I said, with no real conviction in my voice._

_Perhaps I couldn't hide my excitement in my voice, or he picked up on my expectations of him…He started to move from my ear towards my neck._

"I know, Light…You always try to hide how you feel, and that's always cute. I always find it irresistible when you do that…You only make me want you more." He whispered sultrily.

"_W-what? No, no…I'm not hiding…" I muttered as I turned to face him._

_He simply smiles and chuckles a bit._

"It's also cute when you try so hard to glare at me like that. You know, Light…You can try to hide how you feel with words, but your eyes show me the truth. I can see the expectation in them, as well as how excited you are now." _He states boldly as his hands explored different parts of my body._

"_N-no….We've just only had our first Da-,erm, Get together for lunch, we can't do this…!" I pleaded unconvincingly._

_His hands reached towards my clothes…_

"No matter how many times you do it, you just feel all that much more irresistible, Light! No need to deny that it wasn't a date…Because, I really do like you." He calmly states.

"_What? No, that's…It's definitely a lie!" _

_As he began to slowly pull my top off, he whispered softly to me,_

"I Love you, Light. Can I make love to you?"

_That sentence stunned me for a while…_

_He loves me…And he also wants to…._

_I blush even harder and shake my head._

"All right, I'll take that as consent, Light…I'll definitely be gentle, so please just relax and leave the work to me."

_I turned around and began to open my mouth in protest, but he sealed my lips with his own._

_As I struggled(weakly), I stumbled and landed on my back, on his bed._

_He began caressing me lovingly, especially at the chest area, as he entwined his tongue with mine…_

_Before I knew it, his other hand began slowly creeping down my body…I shivered in slight fear and expectation._

_His hands deftly undid my skirt and began to slowly caress that area as well._

_It was a strange, yet enjoyable feeling. Hope was passionately feeling me up while kissing me fervently._

_I felt something amazing coming, and I felt, once again, that slight fear and expectation of an uncertain event…Something I have never experience before, the joy of being a woman._

_I hooked my arms around him and hugged him tightly as I prepared for the sensation of my life…_

* * *

**RING…RING!**

_I picked up the damn clock and threw it out the open window._

"_JUST GREAT! I'm in such a perfect mood right now…" I mutter menacingly._

_Why, oh why did it have to interrupt me at the BEST moment!_

_Come to think of it, this pattern seems a lot like Déjà vu, for some reason._

_As I ponder the possibility, I remember what I was doing._

"_Oh, right…I took a short nap because I was panicking after talking to Serah._

_I prepare to go over to her house as I remember our conversation._

_-EARLIER-_

_I picked up the phone and dialed her number…_

"Oh, Claire! What a pleasant surprise…Can I help you, dear sister?" Serah started energetically.

"_Oh, um…Serah. What I am going to ask for is very, very important, all right?" I began with cold sweat coming down from behind me._

"Right, right. What happened, Claire?" Serah asked worryingly.

"_C-can I borrow a dress from you?" I asked softly._

_There was a pause…_

"WHAT? A DRESS! OH MY GOD CLAIRE! A DRESS! Of Course, NO PROBLEM!"_ Serah shouted excitedly._

"But, a dress? You never wanted a dress, not even for my friend's wedding the other time! What's the occasion? Ah…Could it be?" _She questions me, but suddenly begins talking strangely, almost as if…As if she knew._

"_N-no! Definitely not what you're thinking…It's Just, um, um…Right! I have something to attend, something VERY confidential and of the utmost IMPORTANCE. So please! I'll drop over later." I panicked and slammed the phone down at the end._

_Okay, Calm down Lightning…I'm sure she bought that._

_Ah, I'm showering in my own cold sweat…I better go take a bath as well as a short nap._

_Yup, I'll do just that…_

* * *

"Hope's Perspective"

No use getting depressed! It's already amazing that you've been invited out by Lightning…

ACHIEVEMENT GET~!

One step forward, at least!

As I was thinking happy thoughts while changing, I received a call from Serah Farron.

"Hey Hope, I'm currently free and Snow is too. Would you like to go out in a bit?" Serah asked.

Oh right, she doesn't know about Light's invitation to me.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, Serah. The thing is, your sister invited me out just earlier today. Can I, uh, give you a rain check?" I chuckle softly.

For some reason, there was a pause…As well as an awkward silence for a few minutes.

I can almost imagine her mouth agape while she is processing the information. I guess that's obvious, Light never seemed the type to go and invite someone o-

"WHAT!" Serah shouted through the phone.

"AGH!" I shouted in pain as the voice blasted in my ear.

"CLAIRE DID THAT! SHE CALLED A GUY OUT! SHE NORMALLY WONT EVEN GO OUT WITH ME, UNLESS IT WAS A SPECIAL OCCASION BUT CALLING A GUY OUT, ALONE OF HER OWN VOLITION?!" Serah began shouting excitedly.

I had to hold the phone away from me to stop the ear-splitting voice and the pain I feel in my head.

"Whew…Sorry about that Hope. I'm just overwhelmed right now. Sorry! Have fun on your date~"

"Oh, It's not a Dat-"I began but got cut off by the beeping sound of a severed connection.

"Oh well…" I shrugged and got ready for my get together with Light.

* * *

"Lightning's Perspective"

_All right, I just have to walk in there and collect the dress that Serah prepared for me, no worries!_

_I steeled myself and opened the door to Serah's house._

_As I entered, I noticed Snow standing near the entrance, holding out a really revealing dress that looked "beautiful", in a certain sense. He claimed Serah chose it, but for some reason he refuses to meet my eye. I think he's even blushing a bit while smiling._

_I got a bad feeling so I looked around and I spotted Serah just nearby…_

_She was grinning mischievously at me while, at the same time, holding out a pair of sexy, black lingerie._

_I sigh in exasperation as I cursed my fate._

_She's never going to let me hear the end of this, is she?_

_And as if to answer my question, Serah smiled even broader and slowly shook her head left and right._

_**I should have known this wasn't a good idea…**_


	9. Pre-Date Worries

**Authors Notes**

**Ah, where to even begin? Okay, well, I recently just graduated and now I have more time to write, I guess? Except I have to work, so…eugh.**

**Other than that, I'm off to Australia for a bit…Erm, I helped my friend with his Fanfic for Ever17 and Clannad so that was another thing I did that occupied me…**

**Hmm, other than that I was inspiration surfing (just a lame excuse for playing other media). So, sorry for not updating in a while. **

**I think my writing is a bit rusty, but well, I'll do my best. And…Haha, those suggestive scenes that are a part of this story now are getting a bit…well, half-awkward and half-exciting for me to write. Man, I think I'm approaching serious M territory sometimes. But it's so fun to write it! Hope you like it~**

**Reviews and such are, as always, very welcome! In fact, as of now, 3 more reviews to 100 reviews!**

**Oh and before I forget, due to recommendation I made a blog to update on my writing status. As of now it's empty though. You can find the link on my profile page. Or well, just type in FateburnFamily (It uses blogspot) in the address bar.**

* * *

_IX – Pre-Date Worries_

"Lightning's Perspective"

"So, Claire…I would very much like a, _very detailed _explanation on what I have just discovered." Serah asked, struggling to maintain a straight face.

"_Um, *cough* I have no idea what you are talking about, Serah! So, I need a dress for…" I started, but was instantly cut off by Serah._

"For your date with Hope, right? Of course! I have it all ready, as well as your…'battle underwear'. Go get him, Claire!" Serah exclaimed.

_I was stunned. How did she…?_

"Um, Well, Sis, apparently…"

_Snow wasn't able to finish the sentence as my fist met his face, and he flew backwards into the kitchen._

_Serah gave me a look that said 'What was that for?' but then shrugged, and then got back to bugging me._

"So, So, Claire, I would really, really appreciate a rundown on this situation! Preferably, one that is _very detailed, _I especially want to know your own feelings!" Serah began shouting like an excited kid.

"_N-no! It's nothing like that! It's just a friendly get together I suggested! I just felt like making it up to him for treating him so badly! It's purely platonic!" I began firing off the first things that come to my mind._

…

_For a brief moment, Serah stared at me, slack jawed, and then her excitement died down._

"W-what? Friendly…Friendly get together…? Like, only as friends?" Serah asked slowly, as if confirming what she just heard.

_I nodded._

…

_Another awkward silence filled the air for a brief moment._

"Y-you didn't tell that to Hope, did you?" Serah asked, almost in a whisper.

"_Yes, I did."_

…

_Serah proceeded to put her face in her palm, and began pacing around the floor in front of me, muttering something along the lines of 'disappointed' and sighing discontentedly._

_Serah suddenly looked at me and gave me a look of exasperation._

"Alas, poor Hope. He must be heartbroken! Claire, you better make this up to him by making it the best date he's ever had!" Serah exclaimed loudly.

_I winced at the volume of her outburst._

"_Like I said, it's…"_

"NO EXCUSES! The poor boy…Oh…" Serah held her face in feigned horror.

_She shot me a sharp look. But behind those eyes…_

_Oh no…_

"Come on, Claire! You're coming with me!" Serah declared and pulled me towards her room.

"_N-nooo! Serah! Stop! What are you doing?" I exclaimed in horror._

_She pushed me into her room, and shut her door, making sure to lock it._

"_S-serah? I won't get mad, so please sto-"I was cut off by her pushing me onto the bed._

_Her eyes looked half-crazed, and she licked her lips in a wry smile._

_She put her hand on my clothes and…ripped them off._

"_W-wait! Serah, what are you doing?" I screamed as I tried (feebly) to push her off me._

"It's no use resisting, Claire! Just accept your fate!" Serah said as she pulled off my pants.

"_No! Serah, Stop! We can't do this!" I implored._

_Serah rested her hands on my undergarments for a while, and just as I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had stopped…_

…_I felt fabric being ripped and the cool breeze blowing over my bare body from the open window._

"_Serah! Wait! We can't do this! We're siblings! Besides, I wanted to save my…my __first time, for him__." The last part came out as a feeble whisper as tears began to gather at my eyes._

_As I braced myself for any form of penetration or molestation…nothing happened._

_I opened my eyes to a bewildered Serah who was staring at me with strange eyes._

"Claire, what are you talking about?" Serah asked with an almost mean smile on her face.

"I just thought that I had to force you out of those drab clothing and force these on you." Serah gestured towards the 'battle underwear', or rather, sexy lingerie that she showed me.

"Besides, Claire, I wouldn't dream of depriving Hope the joy of taking your first…eventually." Serah smiled wryly as she helped me put on the underwear.

_I was too shocked to say anything…And the embarrassment and humiliation began to dawn on me._

_By the time I noticed it, I was fully dressed in a nice dress complete with a necklace of a lightning bolt, the one I gave Serah as a present._

"_S-Serah, not a word about what happened to anybody, right?" I asked nervously._

_She gave me an impish smile before replying._

"Maybe."

_As I was checking her face for any sign of assurance, I heard a strange sound and the door suddenly broke down._

* * *

"Snow's Perspective"

"Come on, Claire! You're coming with me!"

As I was walking out of the kitchen, I heard Serah dragging sis away to our room.

I wondered what was going on, but decided it was probably in my best interests to avoid butting in to girl business.

But…But I'm curious. With my curiosity reaching critical levels, I decided to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"_W-wait! Serah, what are you doing?"_

"It's no use resisting, Claire! Just accept your fate!"

…Wait, what are they doing? Can it be…? No!

I cried out within myself as I continued to listen.

"_No! Serah, Stop! We can't do this!"_

…It can't be anything else…What is going on behind this door is probably…

"_Serah! Wait! We can't do this! We're siblings!"_

Probably some really hot lesbian se-….I mean, Serah cheating on me by raping Sis!

Unable to hear anything else, I backed away from the door, all the way towards the end of the corridor. And, with all my might, began charging towards the door.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"I cried out as I charged right through the door.

I stumbled onto the floor, but quickly got up.

"Serah! No matter how much you love your sister, I can't believe you would cheat on me with her!" I shouted out loud as I point my finger towards the sisters.

…the fully clothed sisters, Serah and Sis.

As I tried to contemplate what happened, I suddenly felt myself being hit with something and flying right out the open window.

* * *

'Lightning's Perspective"

'_H-he heard it…he heard it all! How else could he have misunderstood?' I thought in horror as Serah merely giggled at the situation._

"Don't you think hitting him out of a window is a bit much? But well, that was kind of your own fault, dear sister." Serah smirked devilishly at me.

"Anyway, shoo, my dear sister! Or you'll be late! I'm sure Hope wouldn't mind waiting, but let's not let him think he's been stood up! He's already faced one heartbreak!" Serah said as she practically pushed me from her room to the front door.

"Have fun with your date!" Serah exclaimed as she closed the door in my face.

_It's not a date…_

_I sighed as I looked down towards my breasts, pulling my clothes a bit to look at the underwear._

_It's so embarrassing! This underwear is just…!_

_I held my cheeks as I felt them heating up._

_I walked towards my car and past Snow who was walking towards the entrance of the house._

…_Long story short, as I passed through the gate of Serah's house, there was a bug lump of muscle resting on the flowerbed of roses in their garden._

* * *

'_Ahh, what am I going to do? This underwear is so embarrassing! Sexy lingerie is definitely not my style…' I was agonizing over and over again as I was driving._

'_W-what if Hope sees it?" _

_As soon as I asked myself that question, I began to drift into the world of daydreams._

* * *

"So, Light, I know I said it once before, but that dress really looks nice." Hope complimented me once again.

"_Uuu~ I see, really?" I replied nervously._

_We were walking in a park, admiring the beautiful flowerbeds._

_Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow._

"_Kyaa!" I screamed out as I pushed down on my fluttering dress._

_Panicking, I looked at Hope. He was staring at me, wide-eyed and blushing._

"_D-did you see?" I muttered softly, my face burning red in embarrassment._

_Hope didn't answer; rather, he slowly walked over to me._

"_H-hope?" I asked, feeling slightly fearful._

_He stood in front of me, and grasped both my arms tightly in his hands as he leaned on my shoulder._

"Friendly get together, was it, Light? And yet, here you are in front of me, wearing a serene dress and such audacious, sexy underwear. I bet there are some equally as beautiful on your top as well?" He whispered into my ear sultrily.

_I shivered at the sensation of his breath upon my ear._

"_N-no, this is a misunderstanding Hope, I just…" I couldn't finish my sentence._

_Hope, as if taking it as a cue, picked me up bridal style, just like that time in Serah's house._

"_H-hope?" I asked, voice filled with fear and…anticipation._

_He leaned in and gave me a deep kiss on the lips, taking me by surprise._

_I tried resisting his tongue that was trying to gain entry, but I couldn't fight the temptation to just let go. _

_In the end, I submitted to him and allowed him to have his way with me, and he took the initiative to explore the inside of my mouth with his tongue._

_After a long time, we separated with heavy breaths._

_Hope began walking, but I was too dazed in ecstasy to inquire as to where we were going._

_As soon as I regained my senses, I looked at my surroundings._

_I briefly wondered why my surroundings looked vaguely like a hotel room, and why I was on a soft bed, when I felt the cool breeze from the air conditioner blow over my nude body._

_W-what? Why am I naked? I began to panic slightly as I tried to recall what happened._

_Before I could complete my recollection of events, I heard a door open next to me._

_Hope, covered only with a towel on his bottom half, smiled at me._

_As I stared at him, I subconsciously began to admire his body. I looked him from top to bottom before noticing an abnormality in his nether regions._

_Actually, mine too. There was a strange feeling of liquid around my precious place._

_Hope removed the towel and tossed it aside as he leaned over me._

_My heart rate accelerated as I stared into his deep, emerald green eyes. My breathing got slightly rougher and I averted my eyes hastily and turned my head away._

_He used one hand to cup my cheek and gently pulled my face towards him. My eyes followed and I was once again enraptured by his gentle gaze._

_His eyes filled with love as he kissed me, and he gently began to caress different parts of my body with his skillful hands. _

_I was slightly scared, but I was also relieved and somewhere deep inside of me was anxiously anticipating this…Hoping, for this._

_The amount of liquid around my nether region increased and I felt the liquid flowing down my thighs._

_I shivered as his hands made their way to the source of the liquid and slowly began to caress it._

"_N-no, Hope...Stop, we can't…!" I jerked as I felt a strange sensation._

_Hope gave me another deep kiss as his finger movement slowly began to speed up._

_Something was about to come, my whole body was shaking as I anticipated what was about to come…_

"_H-hope…P-please, hold me…!" I said, my voice riddled with fear, anticipation, excitement as well as pure transparent, unadulterated happiness._

_He embraced me tighter as the feeling intensified._

_Just as the feeling of absolute bliss was about to reach its climax…_

* * *

_*Honk* *Honk*_

_The sound of impatient cars behind me began sounding as I awoke from my daydream._

_Damn it! DAMN IT! AGAIN! I was so close! _

_I cried out inwardly due to my lack of satisfaction at such an abrupt end to such a lovely daydream._

_In frustration, I sharply reversed, crashing into the car behind me, and sped off past the green light to where my love awaits!_

_I mean, to where Hope awaits my arrival!_

_Ignoring the fact that the drivers that were behind me were further stalled due to a malfunction from me crashing into the one directly behind me, I hurriedly sped towards my meeting with Hope._

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**There's your por-, I mean, chapter for the day! Hope you liked it.**_


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